Get the lead out.

[B. Dudley]

There was some previous discussion here not long ago about lead in the butt of guns for adding weight for balance.
I had mentioned that lead put in the butt of a gun is a bad thing because it can cause the wood to split when moisture is introduced to the lead because it swells. Some seemed to doubt this fact. Or also suggest that it maybe was the wood shrinking around the lead that rather caused issues.

Well, i will share yet another example of this happening. This Lefever just came into the shop with a 4" long split right in the middle of the butt. In the butt was a deep hole that had been filled with lead shot. The shot was completely fused together with corrotion to make a solid mass. This led to the wood splitting.


The stock on this gun has already been nicely refinished at one time. But the lead was never removed before hand. So that job is now spoiled and will have to be done over after the repair is done.

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[Bruce Day]

Always a bad idea when Pb oxidizes to PbO2.

[Bill Kekatos]

How thick is the wood in the area where it split Brian?

[B. Dudley]

Approx. 1/4".

[Dean Romig]

I would think the problem wound be exacerbated with shot (far more surface area to oxidize) than a solid lead core.






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[winplumber]

Got a Lefever from my friend same thing happened with shot but alot worse !

[Edward Yager]

What if you put epoxy in the hole then added the shot.Then the lead would be covered with epoxy,and not be able to move.

[Fishtail]

or just used 'heavy metal' like we discussed before...

[Todd K.]

I had a L C Smith that had lead put in the stock, you can see how it worked out.

[B. Dudley]